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tons of cargo annually across our U.S. waterways, touching virtually every aspect of American 
life, from the clothes we wear, to the cars and trucks we drive, to the food we eat, to the oil and 
natural gas heating and cooling our homes. It supports millions of jobs, facilitates trade, moves 
people and goods, and provides a safe, secure, cost-effective, and energy-efficient transportation 
alternative for work, travel and tourism. The workforce enabling all this activity—including the 
hardworking members of the passenger vessel industry—is vital to American prosperity. 
Today, we have a renewed focus on maritime workforce 
driven by Executive Order 14269, “Restoring America’s 
Maritime Dominance” and implementation of the admin-
istration’s 2026 Maritime Action Plan. National Maritime 
Day gives us a chance to describe some of the efforts un-
derway to advance the recruitment, retention, and well-be-
ing of the existing and future workforce within the U.S. 
Marine Transportation System (MTS). The health and 
welfare of the maritime workforce is certainly a priority 
for the interagency U.S. Committee on the Marine Trans-
portation System (CMTS). The CMTS, where I serve as 
director, brings together more than 35 federal agencies and 
offices with maritime responsibilities to ensure that the 
MTS continues to meet the present and future needs of 
our nation. We have an interagency team specifically for 
mariners and the maritime workforce, which focuses on 
workforce quality of life and mariner mental health, career 
advancement and professional development in MTS fields, 
and stakeholder outreach for recruitment, retention, and 
career opportunities. 
In the spirit of National Maritime Day, two important 
CMTS workforce objectives are to bring attention to 
the vital importance of the U.S. merchant marine for na-
tional security, safety, and prosperity, and to facilitate the 
transition of active-duty service members into the U.S. 
maritime industry. Many agencies—all likely familiar to 
Foghorn readers—are working together and individually to 
accomplish these objectives, including the Department of 
Transportation’s Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast 
Guard, Military Sealift Command, and the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. For example, we 
have a fun and exciting opportunity coming up in July at 
the American School Counselors Association conference in 
New Orleans where we will co-locate examples of maritime 
career opportunities at many levels. Last year, the American 
Maritime Officers Union coordinated a first-ever ‘Mari-
ners Row’ at the 2025 ASCA Conference in California. 
It was a huge success, made possible by sponsorships and 
participation by representatives of AMO, MARAD, the 
STAR Center, the Seafarers International Union, MSC, the 
unions, federal and state maritime academies and universi-
ties, and many private sector companies and NGOs. 
Fast forward to 2026, and we are planning another strong 
Mariners Row where 6000+ school counselors from across 
the country who interact with K-12 students daily will de-
scend on New Orleans. Reports from last year underscore 
that most counselors do not know much about maritime, 
but when they hear about the wages and job opportunities 
available at all levels of ability and education, many eagerly 
want to know more so they can share with their students. 
Reports from last year  
underscore that most 
counselors do not know 
much about maritime, but 
when they hear about the 
wages and job opportunities 
available at all levels of  
ability and education, many 
eagerly want to know  
more so they can share 
with their students.
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